Dahlia plant named ‘Bronze Amazon’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Bronze Amazon’, characterized by its upright, compact and rounded plant habit; freely basal branching habit; semi-double type inflorescences; and golden yellow and bright orange bi-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored disc florets.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Dahlia variabiliscultivar Bronze Amazon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahliaplant, botanically known as Dahlia variabilis, commercially referred toas a pot-type Dahlia, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar nameBronze Amazon.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Venhuizen, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new pot-type Dahlia cultivars withdesirable inflorescence form and attractive ray and disc floretcoloration.

The new Dahlia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventoron Jul. 15, 1998 of a proprietary Dahlia variabilis selection identifiedas code number 96.2580, not patented, as the female, or seed, parentwith a proprietary Dahlia variabilis selection identified as code number98.3930, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dahliawas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Venhuizen, The Netherlands, during the spring of 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by vegetative tip cuttings wasfirst conducted in Mariahout-Laarbeek, The Netherlands during the summerof 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Bronze Amazon has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and daylength, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bronze Amazon’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Bronze Amazon’ as a new and distinctpot-type Dahlia:

1. Upright, compact and rounded plant habit.

2. Freely basal branching habit, full and dense plants.

3. Semi-double type inflorescences.

4. Golden yellow and bright orange bi-colored ray florets with brightyellow-colored disc florets.

Compared to plants of the female parent, plants of the new Dahlia differprimarily in ray floret coloration as ray florets of plants of thefemale parent are pink in color with darker-pink towards the base.Compared to plants of the male parent plants of the new Dahlia differprimarily in ray floret coloration as ray florets of plants of the maleparent are solid yellow in color.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahliacultivar Margaret, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,769. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Venhuizen, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Dahlia were larger, more freely branching and differed in rayfloret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Dahlia showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newDahlia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Bronze Amazon’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence bud, developing inflorescences, upper and lowersurfaces of fully opened inflorescences, and the upper and lowersurfaces of typical leaves of ‘Bronze Amazon’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown and flowered during the winter in Lompoc, Calif., under commercialpractice in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperaturesabout 18 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C., and lightlevels about 4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles. Rooted cuttings were plantedin 15-cm container and plants were grown for about 18 weeks.

Botanical classification: Dahlia variabilis cultivar Bronze Amazon.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Dahlia variabilis selectionidentified as code number 96.2580, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Dahlia variabilis selectionidentified as code number 98.3930, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Summer: About 8 days at 22° C. Winter: About 10 days at22° C.

Time to develop a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 16 days at 20° C.Winter: About 20 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine to somewhat thick, fleshy; development of tubershas not been observed.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous pot-type Dahlia. Inverted triangle; stems mostlyupright and somewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly roundedappearance to the plant; relatively compact. Freely basal branching,about 20 lateral branches per plant; dense and full plants. Vigorousgrowth habit.

Plant height.—About 29 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—About 40 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internodelength: About 1.75 cm. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; mostly simple, basal leaves,compound, trifoliate. Length, simple: About 6 cm. Length, compound:About 10.5 cm. Width, simple: About 3.8 cm. Width, compound: About 9 cm.Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Serrate.Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole length,simple: About 3.5 to 3.8 cm. Petiole length, compound: About 4.5 cm.Petiole diameter, simple and compound: About 4 mm. Petiole texture,upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Young foliage, uppersurface: 137A. Young foliage, lower surface: 144A. Mature foliage, uppersurface: 147A. Mature foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, uppersurface: 144A. Venation, lower surface: 147B. Petiole, upper and lowersurfaces: 144A.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary semi-double type inflorescences heldabove and beyond the foliage on strong flexible peduncles;inflorescences face mostly outward. Composite inflorescence form withelliptical-shaped ray florets and disc florets massed at the center; rayand disc florets develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences notfragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from April untilOctober in Northern Europe.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for about one week on the plant.

Quantity of inflorescences.—During the flowering season, about 80 to 100inflorescences per plant may develop.

Inflorescence bud (stage of showing color).—Shape: Oblate. Length: About1 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Color: 28B.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4 to 5 cm. Depth (height): About 2cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.Receptacle diameter: About 1 cm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elliptical, rounded. Aspect: Straight, concave.Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 1 to 1.2 cm. Apex: Rounded, slightlyemarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous,velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 12 to 14 inabout two rows. Color: When opening, upper surface: 21B. When opening,lower surface: 28B. Fully opened, upper surface: Towards apex, 13B;towards base, brighter than 33A; color does not fade with development.Fully opened, lower surface: Towards apex, 28B; towards base, 28A;longitudinal stripes, 21B.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length:About 6 mm. Width: Apex, about 2 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number of discflorets per inflorescence: About 80. Color: Immature: 14A. Mature: Apex:21B. Mid-section: 14B. Base: 4A.

Involucral bracts.—Quantity: About 20, imbricate. Length: About 8 mm.Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, thin,membranous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 147A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 7.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong,very flexible. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 200D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 23B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 14A. Gynoecium: Presenton both ray and disc florets. Stigma color: 12A. Style color: 12A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been observedto be tolerant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlias.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia have been observed to bewind and rain-tolerant; and have been observed to be tolerant totemperatures ranging from 12 to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named‘Bronze Amazon’, as illustrated and described.